Wednesday, October 25, 2017

350 years ago, two feuding European countries decided to end their quarrels by exchanging some of their assets to each other. One wanted to monopolize the spice trade, the other saw potentials on the asset offered to them. Those two "assets" underwent totally different stories as one became one of the most famous cities of the world while the other virtually became unknown. Manhattan island was named Nieuw Amsterdam when it was a part of the Dutch colony while Rhun island was one of the most productive islands that produce the tasty, aromatic, multi functioned spice named Nutmeg. That time, Nutmeg, priced more than gold, grew exclusively on Molucca archipelago in East Indies (before it becomes Indonesia in the 1900s) in which Rhun island was the only island that the Dutch couldn't monopolize because the British were there to defend it. Enter the Treaty of Breda, 1667.

In commemorating the swapping of the 2 islands through the treaty, Urban Sketchers Indonesia and NYC Urban Sketchers decided to have a one of a kind sketchcrawl event. The sketchcrawl included 3 different main locations: Jakarta, Maluku (Molucca) and New York. Sketchers in Jakarta decided to sketch historical items that relate to the history at the National Museum, Jakarta. Sketchers in Maluku sketched in Ambon City (capital of Maluku province), Banda Neira (the main island in the Banda Sea) and at the Rhun Island. The New York City Urban Sketchers chose to celebrate the occasion on the Dyckman Farm House, on of the oldest Dutch remains in New York. On the decided day of 21st of October, 2017, the sketchcrawl commenced with approximately 70 sketchers from the 4 locations participated. They uploaded their works on all social media under one main hashtag: #TreatyOfBredaSketchcrawl. (Facebook Page: Treaty of Breda Sketchcrawl, Instagram: #TreatyOfBredaSketchcrawl)

On the finale of the event, USk Indonesia (combination of Indonesia's Sketchers and Maluku Sketchwalk) swaps the sketches with NYC Urban Sketchers made during the sketchcrawls through mail. They hope that the sketches will be the testament of the re-connecting the history of the two islands and the new relationship built through sketches.

We thanked Mark Leibowitz, Leslie Sim G and team from NYC Urban Sketchers, Jerry Pattinama, Resa Tuasikal, Embong Salampessy and team from Maluku Sketchwalk, Yanuar Ikhsan, Anto Motulz, Tio, Yoso Bayudono and team from Urban Sketchers Indonesia for making this event possible. Last but not least, we also thanked Indonesia Minister of Maritime Affair and Fishery, Ms. Susi Pudjiastuti and US Ambassador for Indonesia, Joseph Donovan Jr. for showing their support by attending the sketchcrawl event in Rhun Island.

For more information on the Treaty of Breda check this link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Breda_(1667)

Saturday, February 11, 2017

CAP GO MEH

at Surya Kancana Street, Bogor

Cap Go Meh literally means the 15th evening (after the Chinese New Year), celebrated by Chinese people all over the world with various kinds of festivities. In Bogor, West Java, it's celebrated in a form of a people parade by all communities from neighboring cities and regions, religions and ethnics, not only by the Chinese communities.

I took off from Jakarta in a rainy morning with a hope to catch this annual festival from the beginning (temple ritual for the gods and goddesses) towards the actual parade. We arrived before noon and Bogor was packed, rainy and busy already. My daughter and I tried to get inside Vihara Dhanagun (also called Hok Tek Bio temple) where the main activity took place every year and it was almost impossible to get in. The smell of incense was all over the place. Organizers, photographers, and spectators were packing the temple's hall and yard. Hardly any place to stand and sketch.

Traffic jam and people from all over Bogor city poured into Surya Kancana Street to see the parade.

Inside the Dhanagun Vihara as the center of the Cap Go Meh celebration was packed.

The celebration inside the temple (Photo credit: Iqbal Amirdha)

I
had intended to meet my fellow sketchers from Bogor, Iqbal Amirdha,
Kiki Priyosejati and Ersta Andantino who already settled inside the
temple for good sketching spot but it was too packed and hectic to make it to their spots that I
decided to sketch somewhere safe and less chaotic.

While waiting for the activity to start, I sketched the commotion from the front gate of the vihara. People stood by to wait in the rain. Some carried umbrellas or raincoat, the others just didn't care even if they got drenched.

Inside the hall where the statues of gods and goddesses were stored, people were busy decorating and waving flags. Some visitors came to pay respect to the gods and goddesses here.

The Drummers (right side) by Kiki Priyosejati. The drums inside the hall can be heard all the way to the streets and usually symbolize what kind of activity or ritual that was going on.

Inside the vihara sketch by Iqbal Amirdha captured the sense of excitement.

As the religious activity took place, parade participants were already standing by at the hall and by Padjajaran street. Waiting for their turn to walk.

Kiki Priyosejati's quick sketch of the gate from the Surya Kancana street.

By afternoon time, it seemed the parade is delayed until evening time. So I decided to head home before getting trapped inside the heavy traffic jam in Bogor city that day. After apologizing to my Bogor Sketchers friends via Whatsapp Application, we walked back to where we parked and safely drove back to Jakarta. May next year I can come back again and sketched a bit more. Special thanks to my Bogor Sketchers friends who stood by waiting for me although we didn't meet in person. I just admire their spirit to capture the scene through their sketches!

The rain was still pouring as we exited Bogor through the highway.

For more information about Hok Tek Bio?Dhanagun temple, please check out this http://phototour-id.blogspot.co.id/2015/08/vihara-dhanagun-hok-tek-bio-temple.html

Seringkali tidak mudah mensketsa setelah beberapa jam menggenggam setang. Namun setelah beberapa lama jadi terbiasa.Often, not quite easy to sketch right after cycling. The tremor caused by hours of cycling just makes it worse. But gets better after a while